Cleaning apparatus.



I. H.-SPENCER. GLEANING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1907.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

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Patented Mar. 30, 1915. J9 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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IRA H. SPENCER, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS,

TO THE SPENCER TURBINE CLEANER COMPANY,

CCBPCRATION OF CONNECTICUT.

CLEANING AP]? 1.

0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A

T'US.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3th, 31915.

Application filed May 31, 1907. Serial No. 376,608.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that T, IRA H. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and Improved Cleaning Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of cleaning apparatus designedto remove dust, trash, litter and the like by means of a confined streamof air that is drawn inwardly through a cleaning tool which is adaptedto be applied to the surface of the object to be cleaned, the dust andtrash transported by the stream being collected by suitable arrestersand the air being permitted to pass to the atmosphere.

More especially, my invention relates to that type of suction cleaningapparatus wherein a multi-stage fan is employedfor inducing the desiredoperating conditions in the confined stream of air.

The principal object of the invention, generally stated, is to produce asimple, eflicient and durable device of this character which is compactin form and which may be operated with an economical expenditure ofpower. This object is tain relative arrangements of the parts of theapparatus and by the employment of dust and trash collecting receptaclesthat are designed with special reference to their use in conjunctionwith suction creating apparatus of the fan type, as will hereinafterappear.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, the scope whereof is pointedout in the claims, Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation andpartly in vertical central section, showing a cleaning apparatusembodying my invention; Fig. 2 1s a sectional view taken in the plane ofthe line 2-2, Fig. 1, portions of the cupola and the dust and trashreceptacles being broken away to show the construction of these parts;Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section through the accomplished by cer-.

rotate in proximity to which extends transversely art to which itapprtains may apply the same.

The suction creating device in the type of apparatus to which myinvention relates is a multi-stage fan by means of which a partlalvacuum is constantly maintained at the inlet orifices of the cleaningtools when the apparatus is in operation. The suction creating device Aof this type illustrated in the drawings embodies a generallycylindrical fan casing 9 which is divided into a series of communicatingcompartments by transversely extending partitions 10 each of which ispreferably provided with a plurality of curved vanes 14 that projectoutwardly from those faces of the partitions 10 which are nearer theintake end of the casing. Journaled on the casing 9, as, for example, inbearings 17, is a shaft 11 which extends lengthwise of the casing,passing through the centrally disposed circular orifices 15 in thetransversely extending partitions 10. Upon this shaft is rigidly mounteda plurality of fans each of which may be conveniently formed as a disk12 having a plurality of projecting blades 13. Each of the severalinterior chambers of the casing 9 contains one of these fans, the frontedges of the blades 13 thereof being arranged to the plane face of theadjacent casing partition 10. The cylindrical area between each fan disk12 and its adjacent partition 10 on a circle located at 16, at what Iterm the throat, is referably approximately equal to the area 0 theopening 15 in the adjacent partition.

Mounted upon the fan casing 9 and rising which are housed a plurality ofreceptacles for arresting and collecting the dust, trash and littertransported by the confined stream of air. For the sake of brevity thesereceptacles will be hereinafter referred to merely as dust arresters orreceptacles.

At its upper end the cupola 18 is provided with an air inlet pipe 19which,'by means of couplings 6, communicates with cleaning tools 33through flexible tubing or hose 7. The air inlet pipe 19 opens into areceiving receptacle which is preferably in the form of a trap, suchtrap comprising a casing 20 through the cupola near the top and which isprovided with aremovable drawer 8 having an openber 22 downwardlythrough the cupola and communicates with the interior of the fan casing9 at one end thereof. The opposite or outlet end of the fan casingcommunicates with an outlet conduit or passage 24 Which opens into achamber 25 in the lower part of the cupola 18, the chamber 25 being incommunication with a dust arrester or receiving receptacle which, likethe dust arrester heretofore described, preferably consists of a casing26 which is open at the top and within which is movably mounteda drawer27 having an opening which communicates with the opening in the casing26. Above this dust arrester and within the cupola is a transverselyextending partition having a downwardly extending tubular portion thatprojects through the opening in the top of the casing 26 of the dusttrap or arrester, such tubular portion being of less cross sectionalarea than that of the opening in the casing 26 to thus form a passage 28connecting the chamber 25 with the dust arrester and to also form anoutlet 29 through which the air may pass from the receiving receptacle 2to an outlet chamber 30 within the cupola.

desired, a screen 31, as shoWn,-may be arranged Within the outletchamber 30 so as to be interposed betweenthe outlet 29 of the dustarrester and the outlet pipe 32 leading from the outlet chamber 30. Theoutlet pipe 32 may be connected to a chimney or may discharge directlyinto the atmosphere. The cleaning tools 33 may be of any desired form.Each of them, as shown in Fig. 4, is connected to the inlet pipe19 ofthe apparatus by means of flexible tubing or hose 7. These tools 33, asis well own, are formed with inlet orifices through which the moving airdraws dust, trash and litter from the surface or object to be cleaned. Il Iclaim: 1

1. A cleaning apparatus comprising a casing, said casing being providedwith a chamber which is adjacent to and in communication with the airinlet pipe of the.

apparatus and being also providedwith a second chamber which islocated-below said chamber first named, a suction creatingdevice'movably mounted in said casing, a dust arrester arrangedvertically above the portion'of said casing within which said su'ctioncreating device is mounted, said dust arrester being located in thatsaid chamber of the casing which is adjacent to the air inlet pipe ofthe apparatus and being provided with a dust receiving receptacle intowhich the air inlet pipe of the apparatus projects, an air inlet pipeopening intosaid arrester, means for permitting the passage ofair fromthe chamber in which said arrester is located to the interior of theportion of said casing Within which said suctioncreating device islocated, and a second dust arrester in communication with the air outletend of said casing and arranged be- 7 low the dust arrester firstmentioned.

2. A cleaning apparatus comprising a casing, suction inducingcentrifugal means revolubly mounted in said casing and in volving aplurality of devices successlvely delivering the same volume of air fromone to another and operating to successively increase the density ofsaid air within said casing, a dust receiving receptacle having animperforate bottom and having an outlet opening in its upper portion, anair inlet pipe opening into said receptacle, the crosssectional area ofthe inlet than that ofthe said receptacle to thereby permit a portion ofthe dirt and trash to settle in said receptacle, and means forpermitting the air and finer dust to issue from the outlet opening ofthe said receptacle and to enter the interior of said casing at one endthereof.

3. A cleaning apparatus comprising a casing, suction inducingcentrifugal means revolubly mounted in said casing and involving aplurality of devices successively delivering the same volume of air fromone to another and operating to successively increase the density ofsaid air .within said pipe being less casing, a dust receivingreceptacle having an opening therein,

a drawer. movably mounted in said receptacle and having an openingwhichcommunicates with the opening in said receptacle, an air inlet pipeprojecting into the opening in'said receptacle, the cross-sectional areaof the inlet pipe being less than that of the opening in said receptacleto thus form the air and a portion of-the dust transportmeans forpermitting the air issuing from said receptacle to enter the interior ofsaid 'casmg at one end thereof, and an' outlet an outlet permitting topermit the escape of air and fine dust, means for directing the currentof dustladen air downwardly within said arrester, means for permittingthe air and dust issuing from said arrester to pass in a continuousstream to said suction inducing means, and a dust arrester of the drytype communicating with d to said casing an which the dust-laden airdelivered by the suction inducing means passes after leaving saidcasing.

5. A cleaning apparatus involving a casing having an inlet opening andan outlet opening, successively acting revoluble means trifugally toprogressively increase the mounted in said casing and operatinggenensity of the dust-laden air passing through said casing, and anarrester involving a chamber for collecting a portion of the dirt andtrash by deposition due to gravity and adapted to permit the air and theremainder of the dust particles to escape therefrom and enter saidcasing without substantial resistance.

IRA H. SPENCER. Witnesses:

ARTHUR P. DAY, MAY 0. CARROLL.

